Container with tear-out portion

ABSTRACT

A container has a tear-out portion below which an upper end of a funnel within the container is suspended by a readily frangible connection so that when the tear-out portion is removed from the container, the funnel may be positioned in the opening thereby formed and separated from the tear-out portion. The funnel has external projections for snap-action, sealing engagement with the edge of the opening, a peripheral projection for abutment with the underside of the container top around the opening, and an air inlet opening through the projection for venting the container.

United States Patent [1 1 Leger et a1.

[ Oct. 28, 1975 CONTAINER WITH TEAR-OUT PORTION Inventors: Jean-Paul Leger, 2235 Dudemaine St., Montreal 356 Quebec; Marcel Lamothe, 672 Ave. Routhier, Ste. Foy, Quebec, both of Canada Filed: Nov. 16, 1973 Appl. No.: 416,650

Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 16, 1973 Canada. 178982 US. Cl. 222/538; 222/541 Int. Cl. B65D 47/10 Field of Search 222/526, 541, 538, 565,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1951 Janczak 222/538 UX 12/1956 Rieke 222/541 X 3,473,705 10/1969 May et a1 222/541 3,481,515 12/1969 Booth et a1. 222/541 X 3,752,369 8/1973 Robert 222/541 X Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg Assistant Examiner-John P. Shannon Attorney, Agent, or FirmStaas & Halsey [5 7] ABSTRACT 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures i f I 3o US. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet 1 of3 3,915,360

U.S. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet 2 of3 3,915,360

FIG. 2

US. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,915,360

FIG.4

FIG.5

CONTAINER WITH TEAR-OUT PORTION The'present invention relates'to containers for liquids, powder or grannular material and moreparticularly to containers provided with tear-out portions by means of which the contents of the containers may be extracted from the containers without the employment of a can opener or other tool for opening the container.

Such containers are commonly. utilized for beverages, engine oils, etc., and it is also envisaged that they may be employed for storage of gasoline, parrafin and other-explosive liquids, for water; forgrannular food stuffs or indeed for a stances.

The use of liquid containers provided with screw caps for sealingly closing openings in the containers, and moreover the use of such containers together with funnels which, when not in-use, extend into the containers in an inverted position through the openings and are retained in that position by the screw caps, are well known. However, such containers have the disadvantages that the screw caps may provide imperfect seals for the openings, or the sealing of the openings by the screw caps may deteriorate during the passage of time, and also that the screw caps may be difficult to unscrew wide variety of different subfrom the containers by hand.

In recent years, the use of cans having tear-out por-' tions for storing beverages has become common. These cans have pull-tabs or -rings riveted to weakened portions of the tops of the cans, and the weakened portions can be readily torn away from the cans by pulling on the pulI-tabsor -rings When used for beverages, these cans have the disadvantage that-the contents thereof cannot be poured from the cans or drunk. from the cans, without risk of contamination-by contact with the exteriors of the cans, unless a straw is employed to suck the liquid from the cans. However, straws are not always readily available and even when they are'available, they are fragile and can be readily damaged before use. Moreover, the use of a straw does not allow the contents of the cans to be poured from the cans into different containers, for example cups, glasses, motor vehicle gasoline tanks, etc. I

It has previously been proposed to provide a beverage can with a tear-out'portion to which a straw' is secured within the can, so that when the tea'r-outpottion is removedto form an opening in the can, the straw becomes accessible. However, while this prior proposal enables the contents of the can to be drunk by being sucked through the straw without contamination by the exterior of the can, it does not enable the liquid to be poured from the can without flowing over the exterior of the can, and consequential contamination of the liquid and irregularity of the How of the liquid from the can, which can easilyv result in spillage: It isaccordingly arrobject of the presentiinvention to provide an "improved container with a tear-out portion and with'means which facilitate thedischarge .of the contents of the container.

Accordingto the present invention, a container having a lineo'fweakening defining a a tear-out portion in a rigid top wall of the container and a pull member conwhich is connected at one end thereof to the upper end of the discharge member, the other end of the connecting member being securely connected to the tear-out portion. The upper end of the discharge member can be pulled by the connecting member through an opening formed in the top wall on removal of the tear-out portion, but the lower end of the discharge member is larger I in cross-section than the opening to prevent withdrawal of the lower end through the opening, and the discharge member is shaped adjacent the lower end to sealingly fit the opening.

The invention will be more readily understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a view taken in vertical section through a can embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a broken-away view insection of part of a can of FIG. 1, with a funnel engaged in an opening in the can;

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the funnel;

FIG. 4 shows a view taken in side elevation of the funnel; and

FIG. 5 shows a broken-away view taken in vertical section through a part of a modified container embodying the present invention.

The can illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings and indicated generally by reference numeral 10 has a side wall l1 seamed toa bottom 12 and a top 13. The top 13 is formed with a weakened portion 14 defined by an endless line of weakening 15. A pull-ring 17 of conventional type is secured to the weakened portion 14 by a numeral 20. The funnel 20, which is made of moulded plastic and which will be described in greater detail nected to the tear-out portion has a discharge member with a passage therethrough for flow of the contents of hereinafter, has an integral connecting member 21 which is secured to the weakened portion 14 of the can 10 by means of the rivet 19.

When the pull ring 17 is pulled to tear the weakened portion 14 out from the top 13 of the can 10 along the weakened line 15, the funnel 20 remains attached to I 1 the pull member 17 by means of the connecting member 21 and the rivet 19. This enables the uppennost end of the funnel 20, as viewed in FIG. 1, to be pulled through the opening formed in the can top 13 by the removal of the weakened portion 14. The funnel 20 can then be pulled through the opening 22 and manipulated by hand into the position relative to the can 10 in which it is shown in FIG. 2. The connecting member 21 is readily frangibly connected to the funnel 20 at a line of weakening 23, which enables the connecting member 21 to be broken away from the funnel 20 after the latter has been drawn through the opening 22.By tilting the can into the position shown in FIG. 2, the contents can be poured from the can 10.

The funnel 20, which is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3 and 4, has an inlet end indicated generally by reference numeral 25, and tapers from the inlet end 25 to an outlet end indicated generally by reference numeral 26. The exterior of the inlet end 25 is surrounded by a projection in the form of a peripheral flange 27, and the flange 27 and the exterior of the inlet end 25 are shaped to fit into sealing engagement with the whole of the edge of the opening 22 in the can top 13, the engagement being sufficiently tight to prevent seepage of the liquid from the interior of the can around the exterior of the funnel 20. If necessary, a resilient seal (not shown) can be interposed between the flange 27 and the inner surface of the can top 13.

The peripheral flange 27, by abutting engagement with the. inner surface of the can top 13 around the opening 22, serves to prevent the funnel from being removed from the can 10 through the opening 22.

In addition, the exterior of the inlet end of the funnel 20 is formed with four projections in the form of beads 30, which are spaced apart around the exterior of the funnel 20 from one another and which are also spaced longitudinally of the funnel 20 from the flange 27 by a distance sufficient to enable the edge of the opening 22 to fit between the beads 30 and the flange 27. The beads 30 and/or the funnel 20 are sufficiently resilient to enable the beads 30 to be drawn through the opening 22, whereupon the beads 30 spring outwardly at the outer surface of the can top 13, thus retaining the funnel 20 in the opening 22 by a snap-action.

To facilitate the entry of air into the can 10 to replace the liquid leaving the can 10 through the funnel 20, the flange 27 is formed with an air inlet opening 31.

The shape of the opening 22 in the can top 13, and the corresponding shape of the exterior of the inlet end 25 of the funnel 20, are such that the funnel 20 will only fit into engagement with the opening 22 when the funnel 20 is correctly oriented relative to the can 10, as shown in FIG. 2, for pouring the liquid from the can.

In the modified embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG: 5, in which the same reference numerals havebeen used as in FIGS. 1 to 4 to indicate parts which are the same as in FIGS. 1 to 4, the connecting member .21, instead of being connected to the funnel, is connected to a screw cap 34. A modified form of funnel is inthreaded engagement with the screw cap 34 at the uppermost end of the funnel 25, the remainder of which is similar to the funnel 20 of FIGS. 1 to 4. In use, the screw cap' 34 can be unscrewed from the funnel 35 when the latte'r has been snapped into position in the can top opening to allow the contents of the can to Tbejpoured. The screw cap 34 can then be replaced on the funnel 35 to safeguard any liquid remaining in the can.

It will readily be appreciated that modifications may 5 be made in the above-described embodiment. For example, the funnel 20 could be replaced by a straight, i.e. non-tapering spout, which could be of cylindrical shape, and the beads 30 could be replaced by a projecting endless rim extending around the exterior periphery of the spout. Moreover, instead of employing a funnel or other spout, it is possible to use a small pipe or hose, which is retained withiri the can by a connecting member in a sir'nilar manner until required, and which is then engaged iii a similar manner with the edge of the can top opening'by means of a suitable formation on the inner end of the pipe or hose.

The can may for example be of circular square or rectangular cross-section, and may be employed to hold beverages, gasoline, paraffin, water or other liquid, 6r grannular or powder materials, for example fertilizer. I i

We claim:

1. The combination comprising:

a container having a rigid top wall,

means defining an endless line of weakening in said top wall;

said line of weakening defining a tear-out portion of said top wall; 1

5 a pull member connected to said tear-out portion,

whereby said tear-out portion can be removed from said top wall by pulling said pull member to form in said top wall an opening defined by said line of weakening;

a discharge member shaped to fit through said opensaid discharge member defining a discharge passage therethrough for flow of the contents of said container through said discharge member;

a frangible connecting member retaining said discharge member within said container;

said discharge member being suspended at a spacing below said top wall by said connecting member; said connecting member being connected at one end thereof to an upper end of said discharge member; means for securely connecting the other end of said connecting member to said tear-out portion;

said upper end of said discharge member being smaller in cross-section than said opening to allow withdrawal of said upper end through said opening on removal of said tear-out portion from said top wall;

said discharge member including a sealing portion having a cross-sectional size and shape adjacent said lower end thereof which are the same as the shape and size of said opening; whereby on removal of said tear-out portion said discharge member can be partially drawn through said opening to bring said sealing portion into fitted engagement with the edge of said opening around said opening; and

said discharge member further comprising peripherally projecting means at the exterior of said lower end of said discharge member for abutment with the'underside of said top wall around said opening on withdrawal of said discharge member through said opening;

and means defining an air inlet opening extending through said peripherally projecting means for venting the interior of said container through said opening when said discharge member is in use.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, further comprising a rivet securing said pull member and said frangible connecting member to said tear-out portion.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said discharge member tapers towards said upper end thereof to form a funnel.

4. The combination of claim 1, further comprising a cap and screw thread means on said cap and said upper end of said discharge member for securing said cap in screw threaded engagement with said discharge member, said one end of said connecting member being joined to said cap for connecting said connecting member to said discharge member.

5. The combination of claim 1, wherein a weakening is provided in said connecting member to facilitate breaking away of said connecting member from said discharge member. 6 5 

1. The combination comprising: a container having a rigid top wall, means defining an endless line of weakening in said top wall; said line of weakening defining a tear-out portion of said top wall; a pull member connected to said tear-out portion, whereby said tear-out portion can be removed from said top wall by pulling said pull member to form in said top wall an opening defined by said line of weakening; a discharge member shaped to fit through said opening; said discharge member defining a discharge passage therethrough for flow of the contents of said container through said discharge member; a frangible connecting member retaining said discharge member within said container; said discharge member being suspended at a spacing below said top wall by said connecting meMber; said connecting member being connected at one end thereof to an upper end of said discharge member; means for securely connecting the other end of said connecting member to said tear-out portion; said upper end of said discharge member being smaller in crosssection than said opening to allow withdrawal of said upper end through said opening on removal of said tear-out portion from said top wall; said discharge member including a sealing portion having a cross-sectional size and shape adjacent said lower end thereof which are the same as the shape and size of said opening; whereby on removal of said tear-out portion said discharge member can be partially drawn through said opening to bring said sealing portion into fitted engagement with the edge of said opening around said opening; and said discharge member further comprising peripherally projecting means at the exterior of said lower end of said discharge member for abutment with the underside of said top wall around said opening on withdrawal of said discharge member through said opening; and means defining an air inlet opening extending through said peripherally projecting means for venting the interior of said container through said opening when said discharge member is in use.
 2. The combination set forth in claim 1, further comprising a rivet securing said pull member and said frangible connecting member to said tear-out portion.
 3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said discharge member tapers towards said upper end thereof to form a funnel.
 4. The combination of claim 1, further comprising a cap and screw thread means on said cap and said upper end of said discharge member for securing said cap in screw threaded engagement with said discharge member, said one end of said connecting member being joined to said cap for connecting said connecting member to said discharge member.
 5. The combination of claim 1, wherein a weakening is provided in said connecting member to facilitate breaking away of said connecting member from said discharge member. 